Dampening appliance



Jan. 20, 1931.

H. v. MAJOR 1,789,763

DAMPENING APPLIANCE Filed Aug. 7, 1928 Patented n... 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY VICTOR MAJOR, OF LONDON; ENGLAND I DAMPENING APPLIANCE f Application filed August 7, 1928, Serial K0. 298,093, and in Great Britain December 13, 1927.

This invention relates to appliances used for the dampening of adhesive labels and to machines used for the purpose of moistening gummed or glued paper, cloth or like mate- 6 rials in the strip. a

It is known that dampening appliances may be and-have been made by the use of felt pads, sponges, brushes and like materials of absorbent properties, these materials being partially immersed in water and rely ing' upon their absorbency or capillary virtu e, to provide a suitable moistening surface above the water level. It is with this type of dampening appliance that the present invention is concerned.

It may be stated here that this type of dampening appliance differs in important particulars from the roller'type'in which the moisture is applied by contact between the gummed or like surface and the upper surface of a. roller which has its lower periphery immersedand is nc vedby the pressure of the strip to carry the moisture up. It has in fact already been suggestedthat the pressure with which the tape is pressed against the corrugated periphery of such a wheel, may be varied and the adjustment made for the reception of tapesof various thickness; but the roller type of dampening appliance aims at a rolling contact and the application of additional pressure once that contact is substantially established has no substantial effect in applying additional moisture which is, in fact, not available.

It is known that devices of an improved form have been made, using the foregoing principles but difiering by the addition of a hinged or weighted flap resting upon the top surface of the absorbent material whereby a definite and even contact is established between the flap and the moistener, this contact being transferred to and maintained between any, label, paper, cloth or like material, (which may be introduced beneath the flap), and the moistening surface. 7

It has been demonstrated that the amount of pressure necessary between the hinged or weighted flap and the moistener, varies ac cording to the natureof the material re quired to be moistened and the object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective means whereby this pressure may be easily adjusted. I

.In addition it has been found that it is desirable to have a brush or pad of rather 5 stiffer nature when dealing with adhesives of the more tacky kind such as 'glue than when dealing, for example, with gum arabic, and

that the most effective combination of flap pressure and stiffness of brushor pad'inay vary quite considerably according tothe nature of the article-or strip to bejmoistened', the adhesive used and thespeed of feed past the moistening device, whether by hand or automatic. Apparatus made in accordance with the present invention is provided with means under the control of an 0perator,whereby the pressure between dampening appliance and pressure plate may be adjusted as required duringv the operation of moistening a strip or a number of similar labels or the like; and preferablyin addition the'pad or brush may, be compressed or its freedom of movement restrained to stiffen it and to some extent also tocontrol the supply of liquid conveyed by it to the surface to be moistened.

Anexample of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an outside elevation of a simple 0 form. of moistening device,.made according I to the invention.

Fig.2 is a central sectional view of the same upon line A Arof Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a plan view. r V V F'g. {i is a similar view to Fig. 1, but illustrates a modification.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, the inven 7 tion is illustrated as applied to a simple form of hand-fed device in which a body portion is 1 formsa liquid reservoir and is provided wlth a cover 2, preferably of plated, and polished sheet metal. The. cover 2' is upwardly inclinedat 3 and terminates in a downwardly depending portion 4:. The rear end of the cover 2 has portions 5 bentffoi ward to form clipswherebyit is clipped into positionon the body portion 1. V

The pressure plate 6 is also preferably of sheetmetal, with portions at 7 bent round to form housings for the external spigot spindles 8, 8a which are held in the housings 7 by set screws 9 and are rotatably mounted in lugs 10 formed upon the body 1. The spindle 8 is extended outwardly and downwardy as shown to form a lever arm 11 whereon is mounted a slider 12 with an extension 12a to which is attached aspring 13 pivotally sesured to the body at 14 at its other'end. A loose brush consisting of bristles 13 suitably set in a metal base-band 16 stands freely within the reservoir. A clamping plate 17 rests upon the top and lies within the front Wall of the body 1, and adjusting screws 18 screwed into the same wall above the liquid level are arranged so that they can be screwed in against the pressure plate. It will be observed that the angle 19 formed in the cover 2 bears against the bristles 15. V

Figure l illustrates a modification in which the slider 12 is dispensed with and the spring 13 is attached to the lever arm 11 at one end and to ascrew 20* at the other, the screw 20 being slidable backward or forward in the lug '22 formed on the body 1 and being provided with a nut 21 to hold it in any required position.

The operation of varying the pressure of the plateor flap 6 upon the bristles 15 will now be apparent. In the form shown at Figs. 1 to 3 the slider 12 is simply moved up or down the lever arm 11 thereby varying the leverage and to some extent also the tension of the spring 13. It remains frictionally in adjusted position owing to the pull of the spring 13 upon the extension arm 12a. In the form of Fig. 4 the corresponding variation is made by varying the tension of spring 13 by means of nut 21, and obviously innumerable equivalents may be employed. Movement of the screws 18 directly affects the bristles of the brush, the clamping plate 17, as it approaches the plate 4t, stiffening the effective portion of the brush, slightly increasing (as a rule) the pressure between pressure plate 6 and brush, and to some extent restricting the liquid feed. Clearly an,

adjustment of the plate 4, or of a wire or other member replacing it, towards the fixed wall of the reservoir either actuated directly or through lever mechanism, or any other suitable clamping or restraining means, may be employed as an equivalent ofthe plate 17 and'screws 18 specifically described.

It will be found in practice that for work varying as to size, nature of adhesive and nature of backing material there is generally an ideal setting'both of pressure setting and of brush restriction, which the experienced operator will quickly ascertain and make at the beginning of a run. 7

I wish it to be understood that the drawings and detailed description are to be taken as illustrative rather than restrictive, and h the n en on i clude all od ficati n and equivalents fairly within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A moistening device including a stationary capillary dampening appliance of the type referred to, a pivoted flap resting thereon and acting as a pressure plate, axles to said pressure plate, a lever arm actuating an axle of said pressure plate and controllable means to apply a varying moment to the axle through the lever arm, said means serving to vary the effective length of the lever arm.

2; A moistening device including a stationary capillary dampening appliance, a pivoted flap resting'thereon and acting as a pressure plate, alever arm connected to the pressure plate,a slide mounted on the arm, and a tension spring intermediate the slide and a fixed part of the device, the movement of'the slide longitudinally of the lever arm serving to 3. A moistening device including a stationary capillary dampening appliance, a pivoted flap resting thereon and acting as a pressure plate, a lever arm connected to the pressure plate, a slide freely movable longitudinally of the arm, a tensionspring connected at one end to a fixed part of the device and at the other end to the slide, the tension of the spring serving to hold the slide in adjusted position on the arm, the movement of the slide longitudinally of the arm serving to vary the tension of the spring on the pressure plate.

4. A moistening device including a stationary capillary dampening appliance, a pivoted flap resting thereon and acting as a pressure plate, the pivotal axis of said plate being disposed in advance of the dampening appliance, a lever arm connected to the pressure plate, a tension spring exerting a turning moment upon said pressure plate through said pressure arm, and means to adjust said spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY VICTOR MAJOR.

.85 vary the tension ofthe spring on the pivoted 

